ZAGGfolio

ZAGGfolio / ZAGG.com / $99

This is probably the best iPad case + keyboard combo that I’ve ever used, if you are in that kind of thing.

First, the keyboard: The keys are springy, and spaced apart just right. The battery of the keyboard also lasts a long time – sometimes for a couple of weeks, depending on how often I use it.

There is a slit on the keyboard which is convenient for using the iPad on portrait mode.

It also looks quite good. I got the the Starhive Purple case, because the usual color which I usually see in retail stores look quite tacky (Carbon Fiber). ZAGGfolio is also available in leather, but only in black, brown, and alligator.

You can also choose the color of the keyboard (silver, black, or white). I got the silver, because I wanted to mimic the keyboard style of the MacBook Pros.

The keyboard does need to be removed from the case when charging. Which is not much of a hassle since you only need to do it every so often.

You would think, however, that with the size of this thing, ZAGG would have at least added a stylus holder. But there you go.

Yes. The size. If you’re a MacBook Air user, you can’t help but compare their weight. Maybe it’s my imagination, but the iPad with the ZAGGfolio feels quite heavier than the MacBook Air.

I reiterate that it is the best iPad case + keyboard combo on the market. But then again, only if you’re into that kind of thing.

 

Email & document for an audience, not for onesake

“But it was in my email!” she exclaimed.

We caught each others’ eyes. Everyone seems to be in agreement not to acknowledge that last sentence, and quickly brought up other issues in order to change the topic.

Because we never, ever, read her emails. Or at least those of which she calls her “comprehensive status update.” We have all admitted it in different circumstances.

We knew we should. She was, after all, one of our project managers. And status updates are something that proponents like us depend on.

And we do try. But whenever we do, our eyes start glazing over, and we spend more time trying to understand the email rather than taking the necessary action.

First, the email in question had at least 50 recipients. Even those who are just remotely connected to the project were included. It came as no surprise that almost everyone assumed it was merely an FYI and immediately archived it.

The emails were long, unrelenting, full of jargons, and code words. They also contained a huge chunk of insignificant data – project overviews that are copied from one status update to the other, and items that are not concerned with technical development (she is a technical project manager).

There was one email where I was shocked to discover very critical action points buried in the middle. There were too many unnecessary headings and multi-colored fonts brightening up almost every section.

It gets worse: The email was entirely formatted using tables, with a multitude of merged and split columns. It was like someone tried very hard to Exel-cize the entire email.

The primary problem of her status update email is that it only served the purpose that she was able to send one. This is a common mistake of project managers — forgetting the reason for releasing a document, whether electronic or otherwise.

Documentation does not exist for the sake of existing. It needs to communicate, and must be formatted, or re-formatted, to the desired audience or environment so as to fulfill that purpose.

When I worked in a software development company, I had to do the IEEE standards for business requirements & functional specs, because that is how the engineers are used to reading them.

However, when I joined the advertising industry, any Word document I released goes unread — until I started doing them in Keynote.

Documenting for the sake of documenting is selfish. Our documents are for an audience, and must be delivered in the way that our audience will understand.

Paper by FiftyThree, a review

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Paper by FiftyThree is a new favorite note taking / sketching app for the iPad. For the record, I am also a proud owner of Notability, Penultimate, Bamboo Paper, and Note Taker HD.

The reason why Paper by FiftyThree works is that it was able to identify and focus on the most basic needs of a note taking app.

It is stylus-responsive. Granted it’s not as responsive as Bamboo Paper, but it is quite close. Admittedly, some of the pens are more responsive than others. The default pen (Draw), the only free one, is sadly the least responsive of them all.

Paper by FiftyThree is simply beautiful. It uses the concept of moleskines to segregate notebooks and to flip thru the pages.

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It is also simple to use. No more messing around with the confusing menus of Note Taker and Notability. It just works the way you expect it too.

Sometimes, though, it can be a bit too simple. It is easy to forget how to go back to the list of notebooks (pinch with 2 fingers). It could definitely use a help icon in the pen dock.

Sharing capabilities are limited to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and email. This is where the app scrimped too much on. It doesn’t even have the capability to save to the photo library. At least not yet.

The app is seemingly free. Or at least it is if you’re okay with 1 pen and 1 eraser. The other pens cost $1.99 each. If you end up buying the other 4 pens, thats a whopping $8. Maybe a bit too much for a note taking app.

Pa-drama slides

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I call it pa-drama presentations – those slides that contain only one image with one caption which is supposed to give story and drama to an otherwise boring deck. You see them everywhere, usually to guide you thru the insights and research that brought about their strategy and execution.

I was a victim of these pa-drama presentations too, until I became at the receiving end, and I now understand the mounting impatience that my audience used to feel for every pa-drama slide that transitioned from the projector screen.

They’re just too everywhere.

And. Too. Much.

We would sit thru an entire hour, where almost 50% of the total slides are all that. Before the presenter has gotten to the meat, half of his audience had gone, and the remaining are prepared to pounce and punish.

There is a technique to pa-drama slides, and one of them is moderation. Extreme moderation. It is supposed to serve as an appetizer, so treat is as such.

Crybaby

My own mother will attest that I don’t cry. Or at least she rarely see me cry. I have never tried to correct that notion. It’s comforting that she thinks of me as big strong woman who can take anything. Someone who doesn’t cry after watching Bambi, or bawl under the pillows after getting a reprimand from my boss.

I’m going on another trip. I’ll be gone for only 12 days, but I already find myself crying while driving away from my parents home.

Crybabies will always be crybabies. And the hell will I let them know about it.

IDAPT i4 – Look ma, no cables!

IDAPT i4

IDAPT i4 / $59.99 at Amazon or IDAPT

Been thru a lot of charging stations, both DIY and off-the-shelf, and I think I may have already found The One.

IDAPT i4 can charge up to 4 gadgets simultaneously. However, instead of having a multitude of dangling USB cables, it has tips that your gadgets can simply insert in to.

Since the tips are placed securely on the charger’s base, your gadgets are actually charged while they are upright. It saves space, looks neat and organized.

The tips are interchangeable. IDAPT i4 already comes with 6 of the most commonly used tips. Special or replacements can be purchased for $9.95 each.

There is also a USB slot on the side which I can be used for bulky gadgets, such as the iPad.

The on/off switch is a good feature, even if a bit useless for me, since there’s always at least one gadget that I am charging.

Almost perfect. “Almost” because I encountered a problem with the mini USB tip pushing down, and needs to be pulled every so often with a pair of tweezers. The replacement tip I got had the same problem, so this seems to be a design flaw.

There were also some problems with the tips of the second IDAPT that I bought — I had to purchase replacement iPhone and micro USB tips.

But still, highly recommended.

iPhone Mail default font – the real culprit

All along I thought the default font of iPhone’s Mail was Times New Roman.

It wasn’t. It was the default font of the signature.

Crazy.

So for those who don’t like accidentally sending HTML email from their iPhones: Clear out your entire signature in your iPhone and type a new one. Be careful not to use paste because the iPhone can copy and paste font styles from some apps.

P.S.
You can edit your signature in Settings > Mail and scroll down to Signature. But you probably already know that.

Your first e-cig

So you want to purchase your first electronic cigarette and don’t know where to start? Never fear, Chette is here. Here are the two most often asked questions about e-cigarettes.

Where to buy?

Kiosks can be found in various malls (SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, Podium, etc.).

I personally buy my e-cigs online, usually from Chinese suppliers. They’re cheaper, have the latest models, and the eLiquids come in much bigger bottles.

What to buy?

  • 1000mAh eGo-T XL mega battery. 3 pcs if you’re a chain smoker, and if you work full-time. So you could have 1 at home, 1 in the office, and 1 in transit.
  • Low Resistance mega atomizer, type B. 10 pcs.
  • Empty eGo mega cartridges, Type B. 10 pcs. This is where you put the liquid. Always have a couple of pre-filled ones with you.
  • Fast USB charger. 2 pcs (1 in the office and 1 at home).
  • eGo mega atomizer, type B. 5 pcs minimum. Controversial, I know. Why would I recommend eGo atomizers when you already have the eGo-T ones? Because they produce better taste. And, they are more dependable than the eGo-T.
    The problem with eGo-T atomizers is they get flooded easily. And it’s a big pain to clean them.
    The disadvantage with eGo atomizers though is that you need to carry around a small bottle of eLiquid  because you need to drop juice (3 to 4 drops) after 15 or so puffs.
  • Black delrin drip tips for eGo. 5 pcs. For the eGo atomizers.
  • eLiquid. 5 bottles. Experiment with various flavors. I have yet to meet anyone who didn’t like Flue Cured and Ruyan.

Happy vaping.

Petri dish. For your kikay needs.

petri dish

Petri Dish 100x15mm / Mercury Drug, Shangrila Mall / P95.00

What do you need a petri dish for?

  • As a palette for liquid foundation. Just pour an adequate amount on the petri dish, and dip your stippling brush or beauty blender onto it. Michelle Phan would be proud.
  • For mixing your moisturizer, sunblock, serum, and what-have-yous prior to application. Paula thinks it’s okay. And since I think she’s great, I agree.

This petri dish, being glass, is easier to clean than plastic. When I’m feeling lazy, I just wipe it with a couple baby wipes and it’s all set for next use.